The youngest sarpanch...

Opportunity knocked on the door of a young tribal woman’s house, making her sarpanch of Gowraram village -- a post to which she was elected unanimously, in the second phase of Gram Panchayat elections. The woman, Kaka Rudraja Rani, is a B Ed student.  She created a record or sorts by being the youngest woman sarpanch in Khammam as well as Kothagudem districts. 

Hers is the only tribal family in Gowraram village. The post of sarpanch was reserved for an ST woman.  As she is the lone tribal woman in the village, she has been unanimously elected for the post.

The unanimously elected sarpanch, Rudraja Rani, shared her views and plans with The Hans India, spelling out how their family got advantage, her ambition in life, and how Fortune had smiled on her.  She is a native of Gurraiah Gudem village under the Chandrugonda Mandal in Bhadradri-Kothagudem District.  The family had shifted to Gowraram village when her father was transferred to the village. For the last 15 years, they have been living at Gowraram village under Penubally Mandal of Khammam district.

She said that though there are nearly 500 families living in the panchayat, hers is the lone tribal family living along with families belonging to other communities for the past 15 years.  Her dream is to get a good job in the government sector as a teacher and settle down in life. 

Her mother is working as a teacher in an Anganwadi (Integrated Child Development Services unit).  After prolonged illness, her father died.  After that, her brother got a job in the Revenue Department on compassionate grounds.

She says that the creation of new panchayats from the erstwhile Khammam district has given her an opportunity to occupy the post of sarpanch in this election. In the erstwhile Khammam district, the post of sarpanch of Gowraram was earmarked for the village women.

She considers herself lucky as she had attained the age of 22 years before the notification of GP elections. So, since she was eligible for the post of Gowraram sarpanch, leaders in the village, affiliated to various parties, recommended her name, and she got elected unanimously.

The gram panchayat falls under the areas where the second phase of the election is scheduled to be held on January 25. The officials will announce her name as the sarpanch of Gowraram on that day as no one else has filed nominations for that post.

Upon being elected unanimously, she said, “It is a good opportunity to serve the people in the village.  It was also the dream of my father to serve the people. During the tenure of the post of sarpanch, I will not get married. The post of sarpanch is dedicated to my father.”

 “I am committed to serve the people and work for the development of the village as a model,” she says with determination.